Scrapple, or in Pennsylvania Dutch ‘Pannhaas’, is a recipe of minced pork combined with cornmeal and spices. It is a heritage food from the German-speaking immigrants from the 18th to 19th century. Today, it has become a classic Pennsylvanian breakfast as a solidified loaf of minced meat.
If you wish to get a taste of scrapple without driving to its motherland, we have here an easy recipe for you to replicate its flavor. Now you can start your morning Pennsylvania-style every day!
Scrapple Recipe
4 hrs
3 hrs 30 mins
7 hr and 30 mins
4-6
Ingredients and tools
2 ½ pounds of bone-in and skin-on pork butt
1 ½ pounds of pork spare rib tips
1 tbsp of peppercorns
4 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves
1 large onion
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
1 tbsp of fresh oregano
1 tbsp of fresh sage
1 cup of cornmeal
Salt and pepper (to taste)
9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Instructions
- Chop garlic cloves and onions into halves.
- Add in pork, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and onion into a large pot.
- Fill the pot with water until the contents are covered, then set it over high heat.
- Once the water boils, reduce to a simmer. Also, remove the floating fat on top of the water.
- Cover the pot and cook until the meat is tender and detached from the bone. This will take up to 2-3 hours.
- Transfer the meat to a large bowl and set aside for cooling.
- Using a strainer, separate the broth and the residue. Reserve at least 4 cups of the broth for the scrapple.
- Pour back the strained broth into the rinsed pot. Then add in herbs and bring to a boil until you can smell the fragrance.
- Gently add the cornmeal into the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the consistency turns thick. Stir often to prevent clumps and stick to the bottom of the pot.
- While waiting for the broth to cook, take your time to separate the meat from the bones and fat.
- Grind the meat in a food processor or chop it finely. Season your meat with salt and pepper.
- Add the pork into the cornmeal broth and stir well to combine.
- Pour the scrapple mixture into the loaf pan and let it cool. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- To serve your scrapple, cut the meat to a 3-inch slice and fry in oil until crisp.
Through continuous practice, you will master the perfect Pennsylvanian scrapple. It can be eaten as the filling for your breakfast sandwich or a part of a full course meal.
Check out LokaEats for more local and foreign food recipes.
